DENVER—It had been six weeks since the Denver Broncos had faced an opponent that came into the game with a winning record. But by the end of Sunday's 31-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, the Broncos had answered any questions about whether their six-game winning streak was the result of poor opposition rather than their own ascendancy.

1. The Bucs buckled under the pressure. The Broncos (9-3) didn't sack Josh Freeman until late in the fourth quarter Sunday, but after Von Miller was whistled for a personal foul for hitting the Tampa Bay quarterback below the knees late in the second quarter, they cranked up their pass rush, forcing a series of errant throws that allowed the Broncos to build momentum. Freeman's next eight passes were incomplete, the last of which was intercepted and returned 26 yards for a touchdown by Miller. While Freeman was struggling with accuracy, the Broncos scored 21 consecutive points to take the lead for good.

2. Denver got by without Stokley. Brandon Stokley has been Peyton Manning's security blanket as a slot receiver, but a hip injury left him sidelined Sunday. That raises concerns about the long-term prognosis of the 36-year-old receiver, who has missed an average of five games per year since 2005 and has played a full 16-game schedule once in that span.

Tight end Jacob Tamme is the primary backup in the slot, and he responded with a season-high nine catches for 89 yards. With a trip to Oakland coming in four days, the Broncos might have to lean on Tamme again. Given Stokley's injury history, the Broncos won't want him back in the lineup until he's fully healed. They'll need him in January more than they do now.

3. No running on the Broncos. The stats say the Bucs (6-6) have the league's best run defense this season. But the Broncos are pretty good in that category, too, with a ranking of No. 8 entering the game. They overcame last week's hiccup against the Kansas City Chiefs by limiting rookie standout Doug Martin to a 3.1-yard average on 18 carries.

Martin might be hitting a rookie wall after his emergence in October and early November. Against the Falcons and Broncos, the Bucs' ground game returned to earth. Although Martin remains persistent and rarely goes down on the first hit, the Bucs' offensive line has been overrun by interior pressure the last two weeks. He should return to his previous form next week against the hapless Philadelphia Eagles. But in the last two games, the Bucs' offensive-line injuries have caught up to them and finally slowed down the productive rookie.